PRESS RELEASE
King Hassan II Great World Water Prize ($100,000)
to reward outstanding achievements in
“Innovation for access to Water and Energy”
Marseille-Rabat, 16 June, 2014 - The Government of Morocco and the World Water Council launch today the
5th edition of the King Hassan II Great World Water Prize – one of the world's highest distinctions in the water sector
– to reward excellence in “Cooperation and sound management in the development and use of water resources.”
The winner will be granted a US$100,000 award. As for each of its previous edition, the Prize will be handed out
during the Opening Ceremony of the next World Water Forum – to be held in Daegu & Gyeongbuk, Republic of Korea,
12 to 17 April 2015.
In the tracks of this year’s United Nations “Water and Energy” topic
The topic of the 2015 edition is “Innovation for access to Water and Energy”. By “innovation”, the King Hassan II Prize
Committee means any kind of technical, institutional or financial innovation that secures access to water, sanitation
and energy for all.
A recommendation-based Prize process
Candidates must be nominated by at least 2 individuals and/or organizations, with thorough knowledge of
the qualities and accomplishments of their candidate in line with the Prize theme. Organizations or institutions as
well as individuals or groups of individuals are eligible.
Submission Deadline: 30 September 2014
Nominations shall be submitted to the King Hassan II Great World Water Prize Secretariat before 30 September 2014.
The nomination form is available upon request at the World Water Council Headquarters, and on line
www.worldwatercouncil.org. Contact [email protected]
Governance
This Prize honors the memory of his Majesty King Hassan II of Morocco and his strategic vision in terms of protection
and sustainable management of water resources. Since its creation in 2003, on the occasion of the 3rd World Water
Forum, a permanent committee composed of representatives of the Kingdom of Morocco and of World Water
Council members oversees the organization and international promotion of the Prize.
The Jury of the King Hassan II Great World Water Prize - 5th edition:
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Charafat Afailal El Yedri, Minister Delegate to the Minister of Energy, Mines, Water and Environment in
charge of water - President of the Jury
Omar Assobhei, President of Sidi Mohamed Ben Abdellah University of Fès, Morocco
Abdelkader Benomar, Director for Water Research and Planning, Morocco
Torkil Jønch Clausen, Water Policy Adviser, DHI, Denmark
Jun-Haeng Heo, Vice-President of the Korea Water Resources Association (KWRA), Republic of Korea
Abdeladim Lhafi, High Commissioner for Water and Forests and Fight against Desertification, Morocco
Adame Nombre, President of the International Commission on Large Dams (ICOLD)
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Monica Porto, President of the Foundation for Hydraulic Technology, Polytechnic School of University of Sao
Paulo (USP), Brazil
Houria Tazi Sadeq, President of the Water Association for Machreq Maghreb (ALMAE), Morocco
King Hassan II Great World Water Prize Permanent Committee members:
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Charafat Afailal El Yedri, Minister Delegate to the Minister of Energy, Mines, Water and Environment in
charge of water
Soumia Benkhaldoun, Minister Delegate to the Minister of Superior Education, Training and Research,
Morocco
Ali Fassi Fihri, CEO of the National Office of Electricity and Potable Water (ONEE), Morocco
Loïc Fauchon, Honorary President of the World Water Council
Guy Fradin, World Water Council Governor
Nabil Mosleh, Communication and Cooperation Manager of the ONEE, Morocco
Lisette Provencher, World Water Council Governor
King Hassan II Great World Water Prize Winners:
2012 – The Sahara and Sahel Observatory (SSO)
SSO is an independent international organization based in Tunis. It was founded in 1992 to improve early
warning and monitoring systems for agriculture. SSO has placed particular importance on aquifers of large
shared basins and on implementing the North-South-South partnership framework in order to strengthen the
fight against desertification and reduce the impact of droughts. SSO has developed an innovative regional
approach based on the notion of “basin awareness” for the management of water resources shared by its
member countries.
2009 – Abdulatif Youssef Al-Hamad
CEO of the Board of the Arab Fund for Economic and Social Development, Mr. Al-Hamad was honored for his
outstanding contributions to advancing cooperation and solidarity in the fields of development and
management of water resources.
2006 – Torkil Jønch Clausen
At the time Development Director and Deputy CEO of DHI Water and Environment (Denmark), Mr. Clausen
was honored for his outstanding contributions to advancing Integrated Water Resources Management
(IWRM) on a global scale. He is also one of the founders of the Global Water Partnership, and World Water
Council Governor.
2003 – Jerson Kelman and Mahmoud Abu-Zeid
The President Director of the Agencia Nacional de Aguas (ANA) of Brazil and the Minister of Water Resources
and Irrigation of Egypt were both honored for their significant water-related achievements and contributions
to the improvement of water resources management.
More about the Prize: Detailed nomination criteria and candidature procedure are available on line with the
nomination form at www.worldwatercouncil.org
About the World Water Council
The World Water Council is an international organization that aims at promoting awareness, building political commitment and
triggering action on critical water issues by bringing people together, through active hydro-politics, and serving as linkage
between stakeholders and decision-makers.
The World Water Council, which has its headquarters in Marseille, France, was created in 1996. It brings together around 300
member organizations from more than 50 different countries.
It represents a multi-stakeholder water community including representatives from intergovernmental organizations, national
governments, business sector, NGOs and water users associations, and academia.
Every three years, the World Water Council organizes the World Water Forum in close collaboration with the authorities of the
host country. More than 20,000 stakeholders and decision makers from over 140 countries attended the latest edition, in a joint
effort to build strong political commitment. The Council catalyzes collective action in between each World Water Forum and
guarantees continuity and success from one edition to another.
More: www.worldwatercouncil.org
facebook.com/worldwatercouncil
twitter.com/wwatercouncil
About the Kingdom of Morocco
Protecting water resources was a National Priority for the Kingdom of Morocco long before Millennium Development Goals and
the sustainable development approach. Among many other projects, the country elaborated its policy for dams and reservoirs
aiming to secure the country’s water supply and contribute to its food security, and to its economic and social development.
Today, under the leadership of His Majesty King Mohamed VI, the Kingdom of Morocco is developing integrated water resources
management policies and implementing innovative and alternative technologies. Morocco is about to overcome its challenges
due to water scarcity, increase of the water demand, and the protection of the environment.
As a key player in customizing solutions and thought leadership, Morocco has developed North-South and more recently SouthSouth cooperation efforts, offering its expertise and experience to close partners in water resources mobilization, water
efficiency (drip irrigation system) and the development of alternative technologies (sea-water desalination, treated wastewater
reuse…).
Building on its political achievements and international outreach, Morocco had the privilege of hosting the very first World Water
Forum in 1997 in Marrakech. The Forum is now considered as the world’s largest water event gathering the international
community. Since then, Morocco has participated in all of the Forum’s following editions.
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About the 7 World Water Forum - “Water for our future” - Daegu & Gyeongbuk, Republic of Korea, 12-17 April 2015
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The 7 edition of the world’s largest water event will gather participants from the international water community: academics,
research institutions, enterprises, professional networks, governments and policy-makers, IGOs and NGOs, as well as
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representatives from various fields such as agriculture, food or energy. The 7 World Water Forum will focus on the
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implementation of the solutions that were identified during the 6 edition (Marseille, France, 2012). The legacy the 7 World
Water Forum will therefore include:
Moving from Solutions to Implementation
Bridging the Platform of Science & Technology to Water Issues
Contributing to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
Necessitating two years of collaborative preparation with stakeholders from around the world, the Forum consists of 4
preparatory processes within a common framework, so as to catalyze collective action and positive change. These processes are
Regional, Political, Thematic as well as Science and Technology. The Thematic process, overarching backbone of the Forum, is
built according to 4 goals and tools:
Water Security for All
Water for Development and Prosperity
Water for Sustainability: Harmonizing Humans and Nature
Constructing Feasible Implementation Mechanisms
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The 7 World Water Forum will also be composed of cultural events, water co-located events, a water exhibition, and a Citizen’s
Forum, including a Youth and Children’s Forum, to raise citizens’ awareness in favor of water.
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The 7 World Water Forum is jointly organized by the World Water Council and the Republic of Korea together with the city of
Daegu and the Province of Gyeongbuk.
More: http://eng.worldwaterforum7.org/en
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7 World Water Forum press contact: Sue Jeong Davis - [email protected] Tel +82-2-6009-9444
King Hassan II Great World Water Prize Secretariat:
[email protected]
Tel. +33 4 91 99 41 06 or 00
Fax +33 4 91 99 41 01
Press Contacts:
World Water Council
Carole Schaal Cornillet
[email protected]
Tel. +33 4 91 99 41 05 or 00
Grayling - Bertrand Paul / Daniel Da Costa
Tel. +33 1 55 30 70 75 or 90
[email protected]